I wrote this goofy McHeadline with help from a new mini-book called “Popcorn Content” by Nick Usborne.

Popcorn Content is a very short book (Kindle Single) about how to write for the social web, as in Twitter, Linkedin, etc. It sets out the tried and tested approaches like:

Start with a number - “5 ways to shave time off your development cycle”

Mention that something is new - “New actuator cuts cycle time by 28%”

Let people in on a secret – “Learn the secret of how Apple engineers manage their power requirements”. Like my tongue-in-cheek title for this blog post.

Or draw a comparison to a famous person – “What you can learn from Adele about industrial fasteners”

Beyond the quick tips, tricks and tools of the trade, Nick sets out the hows and whys so that they actually stick in your memory. For example, I’m writing this blog post a week after reading the book and still remember the key points. That’s a good sign.

He advises us to use these tricks sparingly or people will get sick of following you. That has a ring of truth to it as well.

Another key point he makes is that social media requires you to listen first before you speak. His analogy is excellent, and I won’t go into spoiler mode here, but it’s worth reading. I wish some of the Linkedin members in Digital Marketing for Engineers would follow that advice and read before they spam.

The ebook was $3.45 on Amazon. So even though it feels like 10 free blog posts stuck together and maybe you shouldn’t have to pay for it, it’s only $3.45. I’m not saying it’s the greatest social media book ever, but it’s easily worth as much as my wife’s daily latte. Here is a link in case you want to learn more.